How To Alter Pants

Learning how to alter pants is simple, and necessary - especially if you have a pair of pants that don't fit right. These pants aren't generally thrown away; they are just left to sit in the cupboards. However, with a few simple alterations, you can bring life to pants that don't fit correctly.

To alter a pair of pants, you will need

• Seam Ripper
• Scissors
• Straight Pins
• Needle
• Sewing Machine
• Thread

1. Before starting any alterations, wear the pair of pants in question, and stand in front of a mirror. This will enable you to decide which parts are too tight or too loose, as well as the parts that need to be altered, and whether this is a major or minor alteration. If the pants' length or fit is more than necessary, it is fairly simple to alter them. If you need to expand them or add length to the legs, then altering pants becomes trickier.
2. Now you need to decide how much to take in or let out. If altering the length, you should begin by ripping the seam at the bottom of the legs, using a seam ripper. Be careful to ensure that you don't rip more than necessary. After this, wear the pants and mark the point where you would like the pants to end. 
3. Now, using the straight pins, pin your desired seams. This will ensure that your end results are professional looking.
4. Using a needle and thread, sew the seams loosely and try on the pants again. If you need to make more adjustments, repeat step 2 and 3 until you are satisfied with the fit. 
5. Now, using the sewing machine, sew the seam once more, using a tighter stitch. Now you have a pair of nicely altered pants.